Summer brings long days, warm nights, extra time spent outdoors, and more relaxed gatherings with friends and family. If you take pride in your yard or patio area, you can also look forward to the flourishing growth and new blooms. Many people who love showing off their yards by day, however, have not given much thought to how they could make those yards look beautiful and exciting at night as well.
It would be a shame to let people gathering for dinner, drinks, or a party miss out on all your hard work and on the beauty you see every day. Items like lighted willow branches, hanging lights, and net lighting can redirect everyone’s attention to their surroundings. Here are some easy ways to brighten up your yard for those relaxed summer nights.
If you love gardening
Your plants should take center stage. You could either have extensive overhead lighting, to flood most of your yard, or you could focus on using several small, ground-based lights. For your floral arrangements you can incorporate willow branches to give them a stunning look at night. You can also rope lights around the perimeter of the yard and garden area, or even set up some weatherproof electric candles, if you just want some temporary and subtle decoration. For something a little more enduring, lanterns that you can stake into the ground are always popular.
If you have more shrubbery and trees than anything else
There are many ways that you can emphasize these plants while taking advantage of the unique opportunities for lighting that they give you. You can hang paper lanterns from taller trees, or set battery operated tealights inside hanging votive holders attached to pretty much any size tree, for a pretty and playful effect; as an added bonus, a fair number of lanterns can light up your yard pretty well. You could also buy rope lights to wrap around trees, or netted lights to drape over shrubbery.
If your yard is small or pretty bare
You can use more natural decorations and still create that feeling of being outdoors near growing things. You could put lighted willow branches in a vase on the table or on the ground in a large pot. You also could look for items like lighted trees or flowers to set up in your yard or on the patio. Finally, you could use rope lighting or icicle lights along your house or deck to create a bright and welcoming environment while directing attention away from your yard.
Other tips
You should make sure that you buy safe and quality lighting. Battery operated lights are a great option because you don’t have to worry about them blowing out, making a mess, or starting a fire. With electronic lights, you should be careful to read the tag and be aware of any fire hazards. You should also buy weatherproof lights when you can, unless you are only planning on using them for a few occasions and storing them inside the rest of the time. With proper care, you should be able to use any of these lighting items for several seasons. Styles may change in the next few years, but lights that hang, line a path, contour trees and hedges, or look natural will never look out of place or unattractive in your yard.
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